Elastic-fluid turbine.



R. N. EHRHART.

ELASTIC} FLUID TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1006. RENEWED SEPT. 14, 1908.

952,792, Patented Mar.22, 1910 INVENTOR ATTORNEY respond to tiemovements of the governing -plished by varying the motive'fiuid supplyically or otherwise actuated relay device rated and expensive to build.

' mechanism.

iinrrnn srarns so e orricn.

RAYMOND N. EH RI-IART, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQB. To THEWEST- INGHOUSE MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELASTIC-FLUID TURBINE.

Application filed-March 19 1906, Serial No. 306,845.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, Raynonn X. llllll 11am, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny andState'of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention inElastic-Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elastic fluid turbines and has as 'an objectthe production of governing-means for such turbines. v

In turbines provided with fluid discharge nozzles and'in which governingis accomin accordance with the load demand and at the same time inproportioning the eifective area of the motive fluid .supply passages orthe number of operating nozzles in accordance with the amount of motivefluid supplied, it is necessary to employ a power ful governing deviceor to utilize a mechanunder the control of a less powerful and moresensitive governing device. It is, of; course, essential that the relaydevice be effective in o.eration, reliable and quick to device, and, forthis reason, it has been customaryto utilize hydraulically, electricallyor timd actuated relay motors to perform, in

thegoverning function of the turbine. For various reasonsit' has beenfound desirable to operate the relay motors by fluid pressure and insuch cases a aste of motive fluid is occasioned principally because theactuating motors are not thermodynamically efiicient and moreover suchapparatus are compli- The object of this invention is the prod-uc tionof a turbine in which simple means are utilized for varying the motivefluid supply and the effective area of the nozzle supply passages inaccordance with the load demand.

A further object is the production of a tiuid-actuated andgovernor-controlled relay device which will be simple 'and etiic-ientand which will overcome the fluid loss ordinarily encountered. I

A further object of this invention is to simplify the. construction anddecrease the 7 cost of manufacture of turbine-governing These andother-objects I attain in tur= Specification of Letters Patent.

4: to the working passages of the turbine.

with the chamber Patented Mar. 22, 1910. Renewed September 14, 1908.Serial No. 452,933.

ed on a rotor or spindle not shown), which is inclosed within astationary casing 3. The casing is provided with a number of motivefluid supply nozzles 4, which are arranged to supply motive fluid to themoving rows of blades 2 in such a way that the pressure and velocityenergy of the motive fluid will be eti'ect-ively transformed intoavailable energy.

The nozzles 4 communicate with a charm her 5, the walls of which arecontiguous with the casing 3 and in which a fluidactuated piston 6 islocated. The piston-6 is provided with an extension 7 on which a secondpiston 8 is rigidly mounted and is adapted to reciprocate with thepiston 6 within the chamber A motive fluid supply pipe 9 communicateswith the chamber 5 through a branch pipe 10 and is adapted to supplymotive fluid through the nozzles '85 The piston 6 is arranged to controlthe ef-' fective nozzle opening of the turbine or toopen and close thenozzles 4' in accordance with the load demand. The extension 7 andpiston 8 are so arranged that for certain positions of the piston 6 thebranch pipe 10 will supply suflicient motive fluid to the nozzles toinsure an efficient operation.

A branch pipe 11, provided with a' g'ovv ernor-vcontrolled valve 12,connects with the pipe 9 and communicates with the forward portion- 13of the chamber 5 through a port 14. A working nozzle 15 communicates 5and, like the nozzles 4, supplies motive fluid to the blades 2. Aspeed-responsive governor 16 of any suitable construction is situatedadjacent to the valve 12 and is arranged to periodically open the valveat the normal or some predetermined speed ofthe turbine such amounts asto insure efficient action of the nozzle 15. The discharging capacity ofthe nozzle 15 is such that after a predetermined speed of the turbine isreached and a predetermined port opening of the valve 12 is obtained,the flow of fluid through the forward portion of the chamber 5 isrestricted and, consequently, pressure is exerted on the forward end ofthe piston 8 which is proportional to the amount of restriction or tothe amount of port opening of the valve 12.

The operating mechanism of the valve 12 comprises an eccentric 17, whichis driven by the shaft of the turbine,'in conjunction with the governor16 and a system of operating links and levers. The governor may be ofany suitable type but, as illustrated, consists of a revolving standard18, driven by the turbine, fly-balls 19, mounted on arms 20, which arepivotally mounted on brackets 22, rigidly mounted on the standard, and areciprocating collar 23, loosely mounted on the standard and adapted tobe actuated by the fly-balls through the agency of'the arms 20 and links24.

The eccentric 17 is provided with an eccentric strap 25 which actuates alever 26 through a rod 27. The lever 26 is fulcrumed on a collar 28,which is rotatably mounted on the sleeve 23 and is connected to a lever29 by a link 30. The lever 29 is fulcrumed at 31 and is connected to avalve stem 32, which is connected to the valve disk 34 of the valve 12.

The valve disk 34 is reciprocated synchronously with the revolutions ofthe turbine shaft by the eccentric and connecting links and levers andthe amount of the periodic port opening of the valve 12 is proportionedby the governor 16.

The governor sleeve 23 and the eccentric connections are so arrangedthat, at the normal speed of the turbine, the valve 12 will periodicallyopen predetermined amounts and supply pu s of motive fluid to the nozzle15 in amounts that the nozzle can readily deliver to the workingpassages of the turbine. As the turbine increases in speed, thefly-balls 19 move outwardly and raise the sleeve 23 and the fulcrum ofthe lever 28, thereby varying the throw of the valve disk 34 relative tothe valve ports. The ort opening of the valve and the duration 0 thepuff of motive -fluid admitted to the nozzle 15 is directly proportionalto thespeed of the turbine. As the load on the turbine increases and thespeed decreases, the port opening of the valve 12 is increased until atsome predetermined speed thevalve does not close but admits motive fluidto the nozzle 1.5 in a continuous stream which is pcriodically pulsatedby the reciprocations of the valve disk'34.

A small pipe 35 connects the branch pipe 10 withthe rear portion 36 ofthe chamber 5 and a nozzle,37 connects the rear portion of the chamberwith the working passages of the turbine. The pipe 35 is provided with avalve 38, which is adapted to reguesa'roa late the flow ofmotive fluidto the rear portion 36 of the chamber, and the effective area of thenozzle 37 is such, relative to the area of the pipe 35, that a fluidpressure may be maintained in the rear portion 36 of the chamber 5,which is a predetermined amount less than the pressure in the. branchpipe. By varying the flow of steam through the pipe 35, through theoperation of the valve 38, the pressure in the rear portion 36 of thechamber 5 may be varied to suit the existing conditions. A spring 39 ismount ed inthe rear portion 36 behind the piston 6 and is adapted to actbetween it and the end wall of the chamber 5 in conjunction f with thefiuid pressure to close the nozzles 4.' The piston 8 will be held by thespring pressure and the fluid pressure in the pottion 36 against asuitably located lug 40 until, at some predetermined load, the turo bineslows down sufficiently to cause the valve 12 during its pulsations toadmit more steam to the forward portion-'13 of the chamber 5 than thenozzle 15 can readily convey to the blades 2 and the pressure in theforward portion 13 exceeds the. pressure in the rear portion 36. Theunbalanced fluid pressure of the forward portion of the chamber againstthe forward face of the piston 8 causes the piston 6 to reciprocate andperiodicall uncover one-or more of the nozzles 4. ssoon asone of thenozzles 4 is uncovered by the piston G and an additional amount ofmotive fluid is admitted to the turbine, the turbine at once tends tospeed up and to reduce the periodic port opening of the valve 12, whichtends to reduce the pressure in the forward part of the chamber 5 and toreduce the amount of the reciprocation of the piston 6 and, therefore,the number of nozzles opened.

The turbine may be so arranged that'the nozzle 15, in conjunctipn withthe nozzle 37,

is sufficient to insure an efficient operation of the turbine for lightloads, or a suitable number of normally-opened nozzles may be providedto act in conjunction with the nozzle 15. The nozzle 37 is made sosmall,

however, that the amount of steam discharged, while not Wasted, is notappreciable as a working agent of the turbine.

Although I have illustrated my invention as embodying a pulsatingcontrol valve, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself tosuch a construction, as the "alve 12 may be of any kind and may beoperated by the governor balls 19 through the agency of a relay deviceor directly by a system of levers and links. lVith a valve designed tobe operated by the governor without reciprocating, the eccentric 17 isnot utilized and lever 26 is pivoted at 42 on a stationary pin. Thegovernor 19 is then arranged to open the valve at the normal speed ofthe turbine such an amount demand, and various other arrangements thatan efficient operation of the nozzle 15 is insured. As the turbinedecreases in speed below the normal, the centrifugal balls move inwardlyand open the valve 12, the amount of port opening being directlyproportional to the speed of the turbine. At some predetermined load theturbine slows down an appreciable amount and causes the valve 12 toadmit more steam to the forward portion of the chamber 5 thanthe nozzle15 .can readily convey to the blades 2 and fluid pressure in the forwardportion 13 piles up until it exceeds the combined fluid and springpressure at therear of the piston G and causes the pistons 8 and 6 touncover one ormore of the nozzles 4. As the speed of the turbineincreases, the valve 12 throt tles the supply of motive fluid to thenozzle 15 and the pressure iutlie forward portion 13 decreases until, atsome predetermined speed, the combined fluid pressure and springpressure at the rear of the piston 6 is suflicient to close one or moreof the nozzles 4. With this construction the efleetive nozzle openingwill vary in direct proportion with the speed of the turbine. It isobvious, therefore, that with this method of, governing a small andsimple governor of almost any construction may be utilized with turbinesof any size. or type, since the governing of the turbine is controlledby the amount of steam admitted to one fluid nozzle.

Various means may be utilized for adjusting the pressures in the forwardportion 13 and the rear portion of the chamber 5 and for varying theefl'ective port opening of the valve 12 in proportion to the load andconstructions may be utilized by those skilled in the art and still fallwithin the spirit and scope of my invention.

that I claim as new and useful and de sire to secure by Letters Patent,is:

1. In an elastic fluid turbine, a main supply valve, an auxiliary supplyvalve, means whereby said main supply valve is held closed by aregulable fluid pressure and means, dependent upon the amount of fluidsupplied by said auxiliary valve for overpowering said closing pressureand opening said valve.

2. In an elastic fluid turbine, a main supply valve. an auxiliary supplyvalve, means whereby said main supply valve is closed by a spring inconjunction with a regulable fluid pressure and means, dependent on theamount of fluid supplied by said auxiliary valve for overpowering saidspring and fluid pressure to open said'main valve.

3. In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of supply nozzles, anauxiliary nozzle, an ageiit'dependent on the amount of fluid supplied tosaid auxiliary nozzle for opening said supply nozzles in accordance withthe load demand and means comprising a constant fluid pressure,operating in opposition to said agent, to close said supply nozzles.

4. In an elastic fluid turbine, av plurality of fluid supply nozzles, achamber communicating with said nozzles, a motive fluid supply pipecomn'iunicating with said chamber and adapted to supply motive fluid tosaidnozzles, a piston reciprocally mounted within said chamber andadapted to Close said nozzles, an auxiliary fluid nozzle coni-1nunicating.\vitl1 said chamber and separated from saidsupply pipe, anauxiliary supply pipe coimnunicating with said auxiliary nozzle andmeans dependent on the amount of fluid supplied to said auxiliary nozzlefor actuating said piston to open said nozzles in accordance with theload demand.

In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of fluid supply nozzles, achamber communicating with saidnozzles, a motive fluid supply passagecommtmicating with said chamber, a piston mounted within said chamber,an auxiliary nozzle communicating with said chamber adjacent to theforward end of said piston, an auxiliary nozzle communicating with saidchamber at the rear end of said piston, a, valved fluid passagecommunicating with said forward end of said chamber and a fluid passagecommit nicating with said rear end of said chamber, means formaintaining an approxi mately constant pressure in the rear end of saidchamber behind said piston and means, dependent on the amount of fluidsupplied to said forward end of said chamber for reciprocating saidpiston to open and close said nozzles in accordance with the loaddemand.

6. In combination with an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of fluidnozzles, a chamber communicatingwith said nozzles, a compound pistonmounted within said chamber and adapted to close said'nozzles, a motivefluid supply pipe communicating with said chamber, an auxiliary supplypipe provided with a governor -'oontrolled supply valve communicatingwith said chamber at one end of said piston, an auxiliary; nozzlecommunicating with said chamber and receiving motive fluid from saidauxiliary supply pipe, a secondary auxiliary supply plpe communicatingwith said chamber at the other end ofsaid piston and adapted to supplysteam to a secondary auxiliary nozzle.

7. In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of fluid supply nozzlesadapted to supply motive fluid to said turbine, an auxiliary nozzlecommunicating with the working passages of said turbine, agents,sensitive to the variations of fluid pressure admitted to said auxiliarynozzle, whereby said supply nozzles are closed by a regulable fluidpressure until the pressure admitted to said auxiliary nozzle issuflicient to overpower said regulable pressure and open said nozzles.

8. In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of nozzles adapted to supplymotive fluid to said turbine, a secondary nozzle column.- nieating withthe Working passages of said turbine, and fluid pressure and springrestrained means, dependent upon the fluid supplied to said secondarynozzle, for closing said supply nozzles.

9. In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of fluid supply nozzlesadapted to supply motivefluid; to said turbine, a secondary nozzlecommunicating with the working passages of said turbine, agents forsupplying a regulable amount of-fluid to said second ary nozzle, andfluid ,pressure and spring restrained means, dependent upon the amountof fluid supplied to said secondary nozzle, for closing said supplynozzles.

10. In an elastic fluid turbine, a fluid supply nozzle adapted to supplymotive fluid to said turbine, an auxiliary nozzle communicating with theworking passages of said turbine, a secondary nozzle communicatingassages of said turbine With the Working and adapted to receive aregulable fluid supply, and agents, sensitive to the variations of fluidpressure admitted to said auxiliary nozzle and dependent upon the fluidpressure supplied to said secondary nozzle, for closing said supplynozzles.

11. In an elastic fluid turbine, a main supply valve, a governorcontrolled auxiliary valve, means comprising constant fluid pressure anda spring for closing said main valve and means, dependent upon theamount of fluid supplied by said auxiliary valve, for overpowering saidclosing means to open said main valve.

12. In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of fluid nozzles adapted tosupply motive fluid to said turbine, an auxiliary nozzle communicatingWith the Working passages of the turbine, a fluid pressure and springrestrained agent for closing said supply nozzles and means, dependentupon the amount of fluid supplied to said auxiliary nozzle for actuatingsaid agent to open said nozzles.

13. In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of supply nozzles, anauxiliary nozzle, an agent dependent upon the amount of fluid suppliedto said auxiliary nozzle for opening said supply-nozzles and means,comprising a constant fluid pressure in conjunction with a spring foroperating in opposition to said agent, to close said supply nozzles.

14. In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of supply nozzles, anauxiliary nozzle and an agent subjected to a constant fluid pressure andsensitive to the variations of fluid pressure delivered to saidauxiliary nozzle for controlling the ope ation of said supply nozzles.

15. In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality ofsupply nozzles, anauxiliary nozzle and an agent subjected to a constant fluid pressureanda cumulative force and sensitive to variations of the fluid pressuredelivered to said auxiliary nozzle for controlling the operation of saidsupply nozzles.

16. In an elastic fluid turbine, a main admission port, an auxiliaryadmission port, a valve controlling the delivery of motive fluid throughsaid auxiliary port and an agent subjected to a regulable fluid pressureand sensitive to variations of fluid pressure delivered by said valvefor controlling the delivery of motive fluid through said main admissionport.

17. In an elastic fluid turbine,ainain admissionport, an auxiliaryadmission port, a valve controlling the delivery of motive fluid to saidauxiliary port, and an agent subjected to a regulable fluid pressure anda spring pressure and sensitive to variations of fluid pressuredelivered by said valve for controlling the delivery of motive fluidthrough said main admission port.

18. In an elastic fluid turbine, a main admission port, an auxiliaryadmission port, a governor-actuated valve controlling the delivery ofmotive fluid through said auxiliary port and an agent subjected to aconstant pressure and sensitive to variations of fluid pressuredelivered by said valve for controlling the delivery of motive fluidthrough said main admission port.

19. In an elastic fluid turbine, a main admission port, an auxiliaryadmission port, a valve controlling the delivery of said port and anagent subjected to admission pressure, a regulable constant pressure anda cumulative pressure and sensitive to variations of pressure deliveredby said valve for controlling the delivery of motive fluid through saidmain admission port.

20. In an elastic fluid .turbine, a main admission port, an auxiliaryadmission port, avalve adapted to open predetermined amounts fordifferent turbine speeds and an agent responsive to the pressuresdelivered by said auxiliary valve for controlling the I delivery ofmotive fluid through said main adl'nissio'n. port.

21. In combination in an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of supplynozzles, an agent controlling the delivery of fluid through saidnozzles, an auxiliary nozzle located at one end and a discharge nozzlelocated at the other end of said agent.

22. In combination in an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of supplynozzles, an auxiliary nozzle, a discharge nozzle, and an agent,subjected to the fluid, pressure delivered to said discharge nozzle andsensitive to variations of pressure delivered to said auxiliary nozzle,for controlling the delivery of motive fluid through said supplynozzles.

23. in an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality I of supply nozzles, anauxiliary nozzle, a governor actuated valve controlling the delivery ofmotive fluid to said auxiliary nozzle, and a piston for controlling thedelivery of motive fluid through said nozzle, subjected at one end tofluid pressure delivered by said valve and at the other end toaregulable pressure.

245. In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of supply nozzles, anauxiliary nozzle, a piston for controlling the delivery of motive fluidthrou b said supply nozzles, subjected at one en to a regulable pressureand 4 at the other end to the fluid pressure delivered to said auxiliarynozzle.

7 .25. In combination in an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of supplynozzles, an auxiliary nozzle, a discharge nozzle, a governor actuatedvalx e controlling the delivery of motive fluid to said auxiliarynozzle, means for admitting a constant supply'of motive fluidto saiddischarge nozzle, and an agent subjected to fluid pressure delivered tosaid discharge nozzle and sensitive to variations of fluid pressuredelivered to said auxiliary nozzle for controlling the delivery ofmotive fluid through said supply nozzles.

26. In an elastic fluid turbine, a plurality of supply nozzles, adischarge nozzle, :1 goverhor actuated valve, and an agent subjected'tothe motive fluid pressure delivered 1 to said discharge nozzle andsensitive to variations of valve for controlling the delivery of motivef; l fluid through said supply nozzles.

pressure delivered by said 27. In a turbine, the combination of a mainsupply p'pe, nozzles vcommunicating therewith, an auxiliary supply pipefor the turbine and governor controlled means for by-passingsteam aroundthe main supply pipe to control the effective area of the main supplypipe nozzles.

28. In a turbine, the combination, with a source of steam supply, a mainsupply pipe and a branch pipe, of nozzles in communication with the mainsupply pipe, a valve for the nozzles, one end of Whicll'iS adjacent tothe branch pipe, and speed controlled means for by-passing steam aroundthe-main supply 'pipethrough the branch pipe to actuate the valve touncover the nozzles.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto.

subscribed my name this 16th day of March,

. RAYMOND N. EHRHART. l/Vitnesses:

CHARLES W. MOGHEE, E. W. MoOALLIs'rER.

